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Marian University Students Present Research at Regional and National Conferences

by
Katie Bradley | Apr 28, 2015

This spring, students studying in the School of Mathematics and Sciences have presented research at regional and national conferences.

Two Marian University biology students presented at the Animal Behavior Conference and Midwest Ecology and Evolution Conference in Bloomington, Indiana, March 26-28. Jessica Williams and Eli Resnick, both biology majors, presented their research on climate changes and its effect on the White-tailed Ptarmigan. Resnick and Williams’ research found that while the White-tailed Ptarmigan is well-adapted to the extreme cold of the alpine winter, it is less adapted to high temperatures that occur in late summer. The two students worked closely with David Benson, Ph.D., professor of biology and director of research.

Three students—Chrsitine Skaggs, Amanda Scanameo, and Alyssa Heffren—presented their research at the Sigma Zeta National Science and Mathematics Honor Society’s national convention in Kentucky. Their poster presentation looked at “In vitro analysis of the antimicrobial efficacy of rose Bengal and green light against Staphylococcus aureu.”

These three students were among six Marian University students to travel to the Sigma Zeta National Conference. The university’s chapter, Gamma Eta, was inducted into the society in 2012 and quickly gained national recognition when they earned the Founders Cup Award in 2014.

Research is an integral part of the learning experience within the School of Mathematics and Sciences.

“To the non-scientist, science appears to be a large number of ‘facts’ that are difficult to understand. To the scientist, science is the process of asking a question, designing an experiment to answer the question, then reporting the results to the public so that what has been done in the laboratory can be added to the summed knowledge,” said Loren Bertocci, Ph.D., dean of the School of Mathematics and Sciences. “As our students do research, then report their results in public settings, our students advance as scientists at the same time that they make contributions to their fields of study.”

To learn more about opportunities within the School of Mathematics and Sciences, visit the website.